Priorities
by laurzz
Summary: DannyLindsay. Post ep oneshot for 7x07 "So? My priorities lie with you, Linds. If you and Luce need me, you know I'm always going to drop anything and everything."


**A/N: Hey guys! It's me again! I had a whole bunch of things to say about the episode, but from all of your reviews, it seems that some of you read the story before you watch the episode, and I really don't want to spoil anyone... so I'm just keeping the best one: _'I didn't know bugs interested you.' 'They don't' _– um. That's a lie_. _Can anyone say Fare Game? Yeah; I thought so! Lies Lindsay Messer. LIES. :p**

**In other news, I just want to thank all of you amazing folk who took the time to review the last one-shot. You guys really make my Saturday mornings a lot more brighter with these lovely reviews you send me! I've been a little out of whack, and insanely busy as of late so everything feels like a whirl-wind, but I really do appreciate the things you say - they're always so kind and sweet! So thank you! Special mentions to: **piper maru duchovny, MesserFamilyFan100, Becca, Megan, lulubell76, gwen24, haley, Juliab24, Aveo amacus, jennifer32485, MoonlightDancerxxx, NorthernLights25, saderia, brendanakai, afrozenheart412, ZoeyBug, 18lzytwner,  
cklovesm-m, rapidtetv & hope0**6 - you guys are all great! Thank you! **

* * *

_Post-ep oneshot, season 7, episode 7: Hide Sight_

* * *

"See you on Monday Lucy!"

Lindsay smiled brightly as she watched her little girl wave animatedly at her pre-schooler friends as the door shut behind them.

"Where's Daddy, Momma?" Lucy's little voice sounded after they'd made their way out of the day-care.

"He's at work, princess." Lindsay smiled. "He had to help Jo out with something for Sid. You remember Sid, right?"

Lucy nodded and giggled. "He's cwazy, Momma!"

"Well..." Lindsay chewed her lip as she tried to correct her daughter but found herself falling short. "How was your day, baby girl?" she asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Otay," Lucy shrugged. "I bored."

"You were bored?" Lindsay gasped as she rearranged Lucy's little bobble hat on her head. "Why?"

"It wasn't my turn on the puters."

Lindsay smirked. "Was it not?"

"Nope," Lucy sighed sadly. "It made me sad."

"It did?" Lindsay tried to suppress her smile. "Well that makes Mommy sad."

"Daddy will be sad too." Lucy informed her mother. "He's always sad when yous and I sad."

"More times than not," Lindsay smiled. "What else did you to today?"

"Nothin'," Lucy shrugged as she skipped in step to her mother's paces.

"You spent an awful lot of time doing nothing then," Lindsay giggled. "Did you eat your lunch?"

"I traded it," Lucy giggled. "Daisy had cheese and crackers."

"Lucy, you had cheese and crackers, baby... why didn't you eat yours."

"Daisy's mommy gives her Kraft cheesy, Mommy." Lucy explained. "You gives me hard yucky stuff."

"Lucy, Mommy gives you cheddar... they're both cheese. And you used to think Cheddar was yummy... cheddar is the one that Daddy eats."

"But Daisy eats Kraft cheesy, Mommy."

"So whatever Daisy does, Lucy has to do?"

Lucy nodded adamantly, sending the bobble hat plummeting to the floor.

Rolling her eyes, Lindsay bent down to pick up the pink hat and brushed it off before turning Lucy around and unzipping the little backpack on her daughter's back. "Silly girly," Lindsay teased as she pinched her daughter's cheek.

Just as she was zipping up Lucy's backpack, an extremely loud sound echoed in the surrounding area, sending Lindsay to her feet. She froze for a millisecond, before grabbing her daughter's hand and tugged the little girl into the Starbucks they were stood right outside of.

"Mommy?"

Ignoring her daughter's shocked inquiries; Lindsay searched the busy coffee shop to find a table that was well hidden away from the windows of the store's front.

"Momma! What's wronged?"

"In a minute, Lu." Lindsay answered quickly as she tugged her little girl through the store and ushered her into a booth. "Sit here for a second baby girl. Mommy's going to be right here."

"Mommy..."

"Mommy's just calling Daddy." Lindsay explained as she held her phone to her ear. "Two seconds okay? Get something out of your backpack here," she said, offering Lucy her backpack filled with activities to keep the little girl occupied.

"Mommy, what was that big noise?"

"Nothing sweetie," Lindsay smiled. "Go ahead and get your colouring book out, baby girl. Colour Uncle Mac a beautiful picture, okay? It's been a while since we gave him a pretty Lucy picture."

"Hey babe,"

"Danny!" Lindsay almost cried down the phone line, turning her attention away from a now occupied Lucy. "Dan! Oh my God, Danny..."

"What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

"Danny... Danny can you come and get me and Lucy?"

"Lindsay, what's wrong?"

"I... we were..." she panted, out of breath. "Just... we..."

"Lindsay, you're freaking me out here. What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

Trying to regain her composure, Lindsay let out a series of soothing breaths before continuing. "Lucy and I are fine. I just... I freaked myself out and I need you to come meet me."

"Why? Who did you see?"

"It's not who I saw, it's what I heard." Lindsay began to explain. "I heard what I think was a car backing up and it ... well, it sounded like a gun-shot. I froze Danny, I didn't know what to do... I just froze."

"Slow down, honey... What happened?"

"Well I just got Luce from pre-school and a car backed up down the block I think, and the sound Danny, it just echoed and it scared me. I've been edgy all day with the case and stuff, and it just freaked me out.

"Are you both okay though?"

"Yeah..." She sighed, "Yeah I guess... I'm mad at myself for freezing like I did. What would have happened if it was a sniper, Danny? What good am I if I just freeze on the spot?"

"Well you couldn't have, because you managed to get you and Lucy into Starbucks, did you not?"

"Um, yeah... I guess."

"So you may have felt like you froze, but in reality Linds, you did what you thought was right. You got you and Lucy out of harms way."

"But Danny..."

"Hey, there's no buts about it, okay? If you're scared I'll come get you two."

"I'm just being silly though. I was there when we caught him. I know there's no sniper anymore but..."

"Linds, listen to me," he sternly demanded down the line, trying to get her attention. "You listenin'?"

"Yeah," she replied as she cast her eyes over to Lucy who was happily tucked away in the corner of the booth, a foot away; completely unaware to Lindsay's breakdown. "I'm listening."

"I'm glad you called me because the last thing I would want is for you to be in any sort of danger, k? Even if you don't feel safe..."

"I know, but if you're still with Jo..."

"Jo – can you manage from here?"

Lindsay heard Jo's voice down the line saying something about she'd be able to find a prescription from her ways and means. Simply shrugging it off, Lindsay continued to listen to Danny as he clearly made his way out of wherever he was. "You still there baby?"

"Yeah," she whispered down the line. "I'm still here."

"Alright, where are you?"

"Starbucks... the one on Lexington; between 53rd and 54th,"

"Alright, I'm about five blocks from there, so I'll see you in a few okay. Sit tight, and I'll be there to get you soon, okay?"

"Okay..." she whispered before disconnecting the call and taking a deep breath.

Lindsay squeezed her eyes shut for a moment before heading back to the booth. She plastered a smile across her face and took a seat next to her daughter. "Lucy, that's beautiful!"

"Is Daddy comin'," Lucy drawled, not casting her eyes away from the picture for one second.

"He is," Lindsay chuckled softly. "How did you know?"

"You tolded me." Lucy licked her lips in concentration. "'member?"

"Silly Mommy," Lindsay brushed it off gently before settling next to her daughter and picking up a purple crayon, beginning to help Lucy in colouring the picture for Mac; trying to kill the time it would take Danny to get from A to B.

* * *

Five minutes later, Lindsay cast her eyes up from Lucy's second picture for what seemed like the millionth time, and finally, her eyes fell on Danny's strong form, bounding through the coffee shop on his way to their booth. He ducked his head down, pressing a kiss to the top of Lindsay's head, cupping her temples with both of his palms, before turning his love and kisses onto Lucy.

"DADDY!" Lucy squealed as he took a seat opposite them, "Hi Daddy!"

"Hey baby girl," Danny smiled at his daughter. "How you doin'?"

"Good," she giggled before laying her head on the table, allowing her to concentrate completely on her current work-in-progress.

This of course gave Danny and Lindsay vital time to talk.

"Babe," he whispered, leaning into his clearly worried wife. "You look... you look really scared. Are you okay?"

She shook her head slowly. She then nodded down to their daughter and held a finger to her lips.

He narrowed his eyes at Lindsay's hesitance before a smirk stretched across his face. He pulled his cell-phone out of his pocket and quickly dialled a number. He held it to his ear for a moment, before handing it across the table.

"Lucy, it's for you." He smiled at his daughter as she tentatively took the cell-phone and held it to her ear.

"Hello?" Both Danny and Lindsay watched Lucy's face as realisation dawned on her as to whom she was speaking to. "STELLA!"

Lindsay cast her eyes to Danny and slowly shook her head as Lucy lost herself completely in her conversation with Stella.

"So, you goin' to tell me what the deal is?" he asked as he stood from his seat and rounded the table so that he could sit next to his wife.

"I just... I scared myself, I acted before thinking. I shouldn't have called you and worried you like I did."

"That's crap," Danny growled at her. "What have I told you?"

"I know," she sighed. "If ever I don't feel safe I've gotta call you; but it was just me and my overactive imagination."

"So? What would have happened if you would have overlooked it and something happened? What then?"

Lindsay cast her eyes down to the table. "Look, Danny... I'm mad at myself," She blushed.

"Why babe?" he implored.

"I royally freaked out." She cried. "I freaked Lucy out – and because a car backed up? I need to get a grip!"

"Lindsay," Danny sighed. "You've just left work where you've been working a sniper case for the past like two days. You were with our pre-schooler and you were scared for the both of you. New York is a scary place babe – we see it every day... and even more so today. We're so vulnerable walking on the sidewalk with all these buildings 'round us. I think you forget sometimes that you're human and you're allowed to be scared and you're allowed to call me and freak out."

"But you were busy."

"So? My priorities lie with you, Linds. If you and Luce need me, you know I'm always going to drop anything and everything."

"But Jo-"

"I like her Linds, don't get me wrong, but I couldn't care less about her when you need me." He told her. "Period. You're always my number one, Lindsay, and she understood anyway."

"But still..."

"Lindsay, I would prefer me leavin' somewhere for no reason, than to not leave and somethin' happen alright? I hate the thought of somethin' happenin' to you and Luce."

"I know, and I think that's why I called you... Even though I shouldn't have, I always know you're going to be there, regardless of where you are and what you're in the middle of."

"An' you better remember that," Danny smiled as he pressed a kiss to her temple. "I gotta look after my girls."

"Momma!" Lucy giggled as she unknowingly interrupted her parent's conversation. She slid Danny's phone across the table and picked her crayons back up. "Stella said that next time Mommy and Daddy want to talky without a listen-in-er, yous need to send her presents."

"Busted," Lindsay giggled. "To be fair, you do that a lot babe."

"What else did Stella say, baby girl?" Danny asked, ignoring Lindsay's teasing.

"That she misses me!" Lucy grinned. "And that Mommy and Daddy were superstars!"

"We were?" Danny gasped. "Well I'll be... Stella said that?"

Lucy nodded. "She watched Mr. Newsman."

"Oh she did, did she?" Danny smirked. "What else did Stella say?"

"Secwets," Lucy giggled. "She made me pinky sweared."

"Over the phone?" Danny gasped. "Oh no she didn't."

"Mhmm," Lucy giggled. "Yep she did."

"Oh that Stella," Danny shook his head. "Tell you what, if Daddy buys you a strawberry milkshake, will you tell Daddy what Stella said?"

"Maybe," Lucy giggled. "Can I gets a cookie too?"

Danny looked to Lindsay and shrugged. "What do you say Mommy... can Lucy have a cookie?"

"Why not," Lindsay shrugged with a smile. Lucy squealed as she stood in the booth and stomped her little feet on the padded cushion. Lindsay laughed heartily as she picked her daughter up and lifted her over the table, placing her on the floor.

"Walk with me baby," Danny instructed. "Don't run."

"Okies," She giggled as she reached for her father's hand. "Come, come. Me thirsty."

"Want anythin' babe?" Danny threw over his shoulder as his tiny daughter pulled him off to the counter.

"No thanks," she smiled, happily watching as Lucy did a good job of tugging Danny away from their table.

And even though she had royally overreacted to something as simple as a car backing up, it was nice to have the reassurance that her husband was there for both her and their daughter at the drop of a hat. Except really, she had already known it anyway...

She craned her neck so that she could see her husband and daughter; he was currently holding Lucy, pointing at the menu and both were clearly engrossed in picking something to order. She watched as he slowly put her down and whisper something in her ear. Lucy then took off through the coffee shop, and skidded to a halt just by their booth.

"Daddy needs money," Lucy giggled. "He said that he only gots pictures in his wallet now."

"Daddy has no money?" Lindsay gasped playfully as she slyly grabbed her purse. "But neither does Mommy... what are we going to do?"

Lucy's little mouth hung open a little as she tried to think of something to solve their predicament. "I don'ts know Mommy."

"Well, how much do you think we'd get if we sold you, Lulu?"

"I priceless Mommy."

"You're something," Lindsay shook her head as she handed her daughter a twenty dollar bill. "Take it straight to Daddy, k? And tell him he owes Mommy a million kisses."

"Okay!" Lucy squealed and skidded back to her father. Lindsay watched as Danny caught her and swept her up in his arms and snuggled her to his chest.

It was true what they said, Lindsay mused to herself as Danny sent a wink across the crowded room, thanking her for the cash; fathers carry pictures where their money used to be.

And it left her with a warm feeling throughout knowing that he wouldn't change a thing about their life together.


End file.
